On writing: poetry and prose

Interview with Rosalie Skinner, author of The Chronicles of Caleath

1: Tell us something about yourself
Hi, Margaret. Thanks for having me as a guest today. I am an Australian author who loves writing Science fiction and Fantasy. When not writing I love being a grandmother. My other obsession.

2. You’ve written a number of books. How did you get started writing “The Chronicles of Caleath?”
Writing the Chronicles came about when I ran out of reading material and I was caring for a young person with a chronic illness. As they faced up to and found life didn’t deal them the hand they expected, so too does the hero Caleath, find his plans don’t go as expected. As I watched the courage, strength and patience needed to cope with finding how life could be so cruel, my hero discovers he must find the same courage, strength and patience, to cope with the challenges in his world.

3. Can you tell us a bit about how you went about world building for this novel?
World building, in my opinion, needs to have some nuances from our own world, that readers can identify with. Therefore I keep the world in many ways as a mirror of our own. Then it is easier to concentrate on the concepts behind the fantasy. There are new races and some exotic beings, but mostly readers won’t find themselves out of depth trying to imagine Caleath’s world.

4. You have a number of books scheduled to come out in this series. How did you go about keeping track of the information from one book to the other?
Funnily enough each book evolved using the information from the previous book. It was helpful though to go back through each book while editing and tighten plot lines and include more snippets of information that some readers will recognise later on.
5. What’s your favorite novel? Favorite author?
There are too many to count, but I have decided that Douglas Adams is my favourite author and his book ‘Last Chance to See’ has to be my favourite book. It’s a travel documentary chronicling his journey to find a few different endangered species around our globe. It was written a while ago now and since Douglas passed away Stephen Fry has taken a second trip to re visit the places in the book. His TV series and book on that journey is fascinating. Douglas Adams though manages to relate moments of pathos, humour and drama with his unique skill. I found myself laughing till I hurt, and crying till no tears ran. Yet there is always a positive message to keep you going.
6. What are you reading now?
Right now? I am reading Wendy Laharnar’s The Unhewn Stone again. There is so much in this book that it can take a few readings. The adventure is terrific but the symbolism and balance between science, myth and magic keeps me returning to the year 1307.

7. How did you get hooked up with MuseItUp publishing? That’s a great question. I had a troublesome time with another eight book publishing contract for the Chronicles. The silver lining from that experience was meeting Lea Schizas. After cancelling my contract I put away the series, and it wasn’t until I heard Lea had begun Museitup Publishing that I dusted off the manuscripts and submitted them to Muse. So, here we are and I am thrilled to be part of the Muse family.

8. What’s the best advice you ever got as a writer? The worst?
Best advice? Let other people read your work. From that advice I joined a critique group, discovered how much others enjoyed my stories and began to polish my writing skills. The Worst advice? I don’t know that I have kept track of the worst. I try to take onboard all advice and see how it can help. If it doesn’t improve my writing, then I gently let it go. I still appreciate the intention behind the advice, if it was genuine and trying to help.
9. Writers seem to be divided into plotters and pantsers. Which are you, and has this changed over the course of your writing career?
I thought I was a plotter but actually I am a pantser. I know how the story starts, I know how the story ends, what happens between is dictated by the characters and their challenges and how they interact with each other. When I try to dictate the plot to my characters they get very antsy. If you have read the Chronicles, you’ll realise it’s not wise arguing with Caleath. I gave up.
10. What are you working on now
? My current WIP is book two in a Fantasy series, an offshoot of the Chronicles.

11. Any last words?
‘Drink to me, drink to my health, you know I can’t drink anymore’. Hold on, that was Picasso. My last words today? “Hold my hand… and I will take you into my dreams.”

12: Where can readers purchase your books?
If you go to my website at Rosalieskinner.com the links are there to the Museitup buy pages and Amazon kindle pages. Also there you will discover blurbs, extracts and covers. You can also keep track of the progress of the series, see book trailers and listen to short audio extracts at my blog Ramblings from Lady Rosalie
Thank you Margaret for hosting me here today. I look forward to reading your book ‘Relocated’ when it is released in July through Museitup. Congratulations, it sounds terrific.

15 thoughts on “Interview with Rosalie Skinner, author of The Chronicles of Caleath”

Hi Rosalie,
I just read the extract from “Autumn’s Peril”. I’ll definitely being adding it to my TBR list!. BTW, I love the cover art. What a cutie on the cover! I like the way you’ve used him on the first two book covers and how his appearance changes to reflect the changes between Autumn to the cold, cruelness of winter. Anyhow, I really like it!

Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for your comment. I am glad you enjoyed the extract.
As for the hero on the covers…He is a wonderful model. He read the books and really took on the role of Caleath. Made him come to life for the covers. He features on all eight.
Thank you Margaret for having me here today.

Great questions Margaret. A lovely interview, Rosalie. You are a terrific writer, Rosalie. The jewel in the crown, one might say 🙂 so I am indebted to you for reading my book again. Thank you. And your quote is such a loving tribute from a grandmother to her gorgeous grandchild. You are blessed.

Great interview. Now I need to read both your series and Wendy’s book! Last year, I was trying to read all of the Muse books, but they got away from me. I can’t keep up. ;-( There are so many and I know they’re all good because Lea only accepts the best!

It is a wonderful line isn’t it Gail. The words comes from my granddaughter… She held her mother’s hand and said those words. When I heard them, I knew I had my ‘tag’ line. What a perfect sentiment for a Fantasy writer!!!
When she had a nightmare and was settling back to sleep she said, “Hold my hand mummy, and I will take you into my dreams… but it might be dark and scary in there.”
Amazing little one. So precious.
Thank you Wendy. It was your prompting that led me to Museitup…so I am indebted to you too!! Reading your book is a pleasure. And… yes, being a grandmother is ‘the best’!!! Thank you both for dropping in today.

Rochelle, I tried that too, but now there are just too many good books on the list. It’s getting harder to keep up with our own Muse authors. I like to think that there will never be a time when I am lost wondering what to read! There will always be a huge TO READ file on my Kindle.

Lady Rosalie, you already know what a fan I am of yours. Not fair for you to up the bar again. You are as beautiful inside as you are out. What a heartfelt interview and insight to an amazing author. Love that you quoted Picasso. He was quirky and maybe not the role model one would safely follow. Something about his vulnerability touches me, however.

Quoting Picasso, comes naturally when you have spent most of your life as a portrait artist, rather than a writer, Karen. He partied to the very end. What a way to go.
His lifestyle though, hmm.. Why are so many of our great artists so quirkly and vulnerable? My mentor, teacher and dear friend suffered through his art. A great artist, subjected to controversy and sadly overlooked. Spent too many years recovering from a court case over one of his paintings, when his talent should have been part of Australia’s pride. Still… That’s life isn’t it. As authors/ fellow artists we understand their vulnerability.

Super interview. World-building fascinates me, I know I absolutely couldn’t do it myself so I’m full of admiration for you – and to extend it into a series is fabulous! Wishing you so much luck with the stories. 🙂

Thank you Jane,
It doesn’t seem like a huge task when you are in the middle of it, it’s when you begin edits that you realise what a mammoth job you have created. LOL.
I am in awe of people who write historic fiction and have to stay between the lines of reality!! Edingburgh Fog for instance, looks like a great read, and something I could never undertake myself. 🙂
Thanks for dropping by.

Jane,
I realise Edingburgh Fog isn’t a historic novel as such, but wow, to me Edingburgh is such an amazing place, so full of history, your romance has to have captured some of that atmosphere. Not something I could manage, only dream of.

Anne and Nancy, thanks for dropping by.
I heard recently of someone else who decided to start writing for the same reason, Anne. So now I don’t feel quite as odd. I have had people look at me strangely when I say I ran out of books.
Nancy, life isn’t fair, and the courage to cope with it, is inspiring.